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IFTF Launches Work + Learn Futures Initiative

Work + Learn Futures: Investigating the Intersections of Working, Learning, and Living

Work + Learn Futures initiative is being launched at IFTF’s Ten-Year Forecast event; aims to ensure integrated work and learn options are available to all individuals to succeed in the new economy

Palo Alto, CA, May 3, 2017—Today IFTF is launching a new initiative, Work + Learn Futures, to tackle the growing demand for new skills in the rapidly evolving world of work. Work + Learn Futures aims to develop integrated work and learn options that allow individuals to succeed in the new economy by acquiring skills while working for pay.

“Until recently, we thought of learning, working, and living as separate parts of our lives. Work + Learn Futures concentrates on seamlessly connecting learning and work to better support more sustainable, equitable futures,” said IFTF Work + Learn Futures Director, Parminder Jassal. “The traditional model of going to school at a particular time in life to prepare for a career is no longer viable in our rapidly changing global economy. We know most people are now working learners, and we need integrated work and learn options that match the reality of life.”

With the advent of the gig economy, online platforms and other technology-driven shifts, the nature of work is changing—but services and solutions are not keeping pace. Work + Learn Futures will convene thought leaders to research these issues, prototype services and solutions, and build awareness to bridge and braid learning and working. The initiative will take a four-tiered approach to these issues:

On-the-ground research to understand new work patterns and future skill requirements

Prototyping of solutions to help equip working learners with necessary skills to be successful in the new economy

Collaboration with innovation experts, educational institutions, policymakers, and employees to help them prepare for the future

Public engagement to build awareness of the choices we face as individuals, households, organizations and public institutions

IFTF will launch Work + Learn Futures at its Ten-Year Forecast event—where the organization peers a decade into the future to determine where current trends are taking us and what opportunities and risks we face in the coming 10 years. The event will be held on the USS Hornet in Alameda, Calif.

The following individuals and Chris Stewart with Cornerstone OnDemand will contribute at the launch of Work + Learn Futures at IFTF’s Ten-Year Forecast event:

Van Ton-Quinlivan, Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office; Speaking about UpWork, a new work and learn model; the need for innovation and new safety nets

Jan Morrison, President and CEO, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES) and Envision Excellence in STEM; Speaking about STEM ecosystems and new work and learn models

IFTF is a recognized thought leader in the future of work. It has tracked the intersection of technology and work for decades, starting with the first studies of the uses of Arpanet (the predecessor of the Internet). For more information about Work + Learn Futures, visit check out the website or contact Christina Rupp at crupp@iftf.org.

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About Institute for the Future

Institute for the Future (IFTF) is an independent, nonprofit strategic research group with almost 50 years of forecasting experience. The core of our work is identifying emerging discontinuities that will transform global society and the global marketplace. We provide organizations with insights into business strategy, design process, innovation, and social dilemmas. Our research spans a broad territory of deeply transformative trends, from health and health care to technology, the workplace, and human identity. IFTF is based in Palo Alto, California. For more, visit iftf.org.